PRAGUE, March 3 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial markets on Thursday.
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PRAGUE - 52-week T-bill auction.
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PRAGUE - Czech central bank governing board to hold a regular weekly meeting. It is not scheduled to discuss monetary policy issues.
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] ============================TOP NEWS===========================TESCO CAN BUY ZABKA, KORUNA: Britain's biggest retailer Tesco <TSCO.L> can acquire Czech convenience stores Zabka and Koruna from Czech-Slovak investment group Penta Investments, the Czech antimonopoly office said on Wednesday.
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CZECHS RELEASE GRAINS FOR FEED: The Czech government agreed on Wednesday to release 300,000 tonnes of grains from strategic reserves for animal feed production to meet a shortfall in the market, the Agriculture Ministry said.
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CEE MARKETS: Poland's zloty weakened on Wednesday after the central bank left interest rates on hold, surprising many investors who had bet on a rise, while Hungary's forint recouped its losses as markets digested the country's reform plans.
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CEE POWER: Czech day-ahead power was little changed on Wednesday as temperatures and wind generation remained at steady levels while long-term contracts ticked up, traders said.
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] Related news: [ ]---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------ Index/Crown Currency Latest Prev Pct change Pct change
close on day in 2011 vs Euro <EURCZK=> 24.255 24.263 0.03 2.98 vs Dollar <CZK=> 17.497 17.499 0.01 6.27 Czech Equities <
> 1,229.3 1,229.3 -0.11 0.37 U.S. Equities < > 12,066.8 12,058.02 0.07 4.23 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500 GMT ==========================PRESS DIGEST=========================SKODA AUTO PLAN: Volkswagen's Czech unit Skoda Auto repeated its plan to double production by 2018 from the 2010 level. It aims to produce 1,500,000 cars by 2018 versus 762,600 in 2010.
Hospodarske Noviny, page 16
COALITION OKEYS TAX PLAN: The three coalition parties of the Czech government agreed on Wednesday to keep the original pension reform agreement which assumes hiking the lower VAT rate to 20 percent as of October first and leave only basic food items in the lower 10 percent rate.
Pravo, page 1
LIBYA SUMMIT: President Vaclav Klaus will represent the Czech Republic at an EU summit on Libya planned for March 11.
Hospodarske Noviny, page 5
Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it vouch for their accuracy.
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